Reach Out
by MysteriousMew
Summary: When Zatanna tried to forget her failure in the courtroom, she didn't exactly mean being turned into a vampire. Now, thrust into this secret society of betrayal, predators and clans, Zatanna must fulfil her goals, figure out what's happening, stop a war breaking out and find her humanity again. Sounds hard, but not when a numbered man watches from the shadows. Bloodlines fanfic
1. Prologue

**Reach Out**

**Prologue**

Zatanna sighed quietly, standing along with everyone else in the courtroom. She knew what the jury had decided, it was plainly obvious, but she felt bad for her client's family. She had tried her hardest, fought tooth and nail against it but the sentence was inevitable.

"How does the jury find the defendant?" Judge Croft asked, looking at a middle aged African American woman with short raven hair, short and a little chubby.

"We find the defendant," she spoke as everyone held their breaths. "Guilty, your Honour."

Zatanna could see Josh's hope fall from his face by the corner of her eye and she bit the inside of her cheek, feeling pissed off by the result.

"Then I declare the defendant, Joshua Mathews, sentenced for ten years without parole," Judge Croft slammed his hammer on his podium as Zatanna dared to look at the sixteen year old beside her.

"Josh, I'm so sorry," Zatanna murmured, feeling like the worst person in the entire world. She expected him to be angry, to protest against the sentence. He _was _innocent after all, that was the hard and sickening part.

She didn't expect him to smile warmly at her, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to appear from his eyes. "It's okay, at least I don't have to go to school anymore," he said as the guards removed him from the courtroom.

Zatanna swallowed, shoving her files and paperwork into her briefcase before leaving the courtroom in a furious pace. She hated this, hated the fact that she lost and someone had to pay the price of a crime he didn't commit.

_He never raped those girls, why do the innocent have to fall while fucking bastards rise? _She thought angrily, ignoring the press as they tried to get her statements on the court case.

She needed to think….no, she needed to _not _think. About the case, about today and certainly not about how shitty the world truly was. As Zatanna whipped out her phone, pressing number three on speed dial, an idea was coming to her mind.

When the receiver picked up, Zatanna was definitely not going to regret this. "May, still got those tickets to that club?"

**oOo**

**Hours Later…**

When she and May were teenagers, Zatanna discovered that, although drunk, she didn't show it or acted like it. In fact, people _assumed _she couldn't get drunk, that she had a stomach of an Irish lass. While her mother was Irish, Zatanna mostly got her drinking from her young days drinking wine in Italy with her father. Though she had her mother's fiery orange curls, the Italian blood she carried was evident on her tanned skin and brown eyes.

So there she was, sitting by the bar, watching May dry hump some lucky blonde surfer looking guy, while slowly drinking and nursed some Margarita from her glass cup.

"Hey there, gorgeous,"

Zatanna looked over, finding a man pale skin, dark black hair with a black blouse on, smirking at her. His eyes held her in some kind of trance, for some reason, her body tingled with fear and anticipation. She was interested in some kind of beastly way.

"Hey yourself," Zatanna replied, flashing a seductive smile. Oh god, her mother would be ashamed of her behaviour if she saw this. Zatanna Ible was _not _some putanna you find on the streets but a respectable woman…until she drank.

His eyes drank her in, studying her before a flash of red went through them. Normally, she would be suspicious but the alcohol in her system just made her excited in _every _way.

"Certainly a girl like you could use some company," he said, sitting closer to her and lightly brushing his fingers against hers. A flash of electricity hit her, not in the romantic sense but it still intrigued her. "Or do you already have a man?"

Zatanna snorted. "Yeah right, like some Signore could handle all of this," she gestured to herself, her Italian accent coming out strong. May had often pointed it out that when she drank; Italian Zatanna came out loud and proud.

"You're right, no man could ever deserve you," he gently grabbed a lock of her hair that draped down her bare shoulders, his eyes piercing hers with a fixed gaze. "But it doesn't hurt to try."

"Are you trying to get into my pants?"

"Is it working?"

Zatanna blinked before leaning forward, nipping his earlobe before putting her lips towards his ear. "You bet your ass it is," she whispered, grabbing his crotch and hearing a low growl escape from him. Oh, this was going to be fun.

**oOo**

This was no longer fun.

Her hands, bound behind her back by some kind of burning rope, her head pounding and her mind confused and blurry, Zatanna was no longer having fun.

Looking over at the guy from the club, she couldn't help but glare at him murderously, her eyes filled with hatred and disgust for him. He did something to her, something that changed her and now she had been kidnapped by a bunch of weirdos. That, and there was this constant burning sensation in her throat, like someone had shoved a hot knife down it.

_I want to show you something, _he had said to her while they were having pretty decent drunken sex. She expected some new sex position, _not _a pair of fucking fangs being jabbed into her neck and then dying.

_He showed me something alright, _she thought dryly, looking away and looking straight ahead as a blonde male in a black coat walked in front of them.

"Good evening," he began as the few people who filled the room sat down in different areas. "My fellow Kindred, my apologises for disrupting any business or interfering with prior engagements you may have had this evening."

"It is unfortunate that the affair that gathered us together tonight is a troubling one. We are here because the laws that bind our society, the laws that are the fabric of our existence, have been broken."

_I'm so sorry, let me grab my violin, _she thought sarcastically, not liking the man one bit. Something about him made her skin crawl and not in a good way.

"As prince, I am within my rights to grant or deny any Kindred of this city the privilege of siring. Many of you have come to me seeking permission and I have endorsed some of these requests. However," he paused in his steps, standing close to Zatanna. "The accused that sits before you tonight was not refused permission. Indeed, my permission was never sort at all."

"They were caught shortly after the Embrace of this child—"

Zatanna glared at him. "I'm not a child! I didn't even fucking want this! This fucking bastardo decided to munch on my neck!" Zatanna exclaimed furiously, thrashing in her binds as the room fell silent. Stunned looks were granted to her, along with some amused ones.

The prince looked at her with distain. "It would be wise for the accused to stay _silent_," he hissed before turning back to the audience. "It pains me to announce the sentence, as up to tonight I considered the accused a loyal and upstanding member of our organisation."

"But as some of you may know, the penalty for this transgression is death."

Zatanna froze, hearing the word 'death,' pass his lips.

"Know that I am no more a judicator than a servant to the law that governs us all. Let tonight's proceedings serve as a reminder to our community, that we _must _adhere to the code that binds our society, lest we endanger all of our blood."

The man bent down, stroking the guy's face. "Forgive me," he said, the fake sincerity so clear to Zatanna's ears as the man's head was severed from his bother.

Zatanna's eyes widened, flinching and quickly looking away from the scarring sight that will no doubt haunt her.

"Which leads to the fate of the ill-begotten progeny," he stated and Zatanna knew he was referring to her. "Without a sire, most child are doomed to walk the earth, never knowing their place, their responsibility and most importantly, the laws they must obey."

_I don't like where this is going, _Zatanna, using her lawyer mind, knew what fate she would have as he kept talking. Good bye cruel world indeed.

"Therefore, I have decided that—"

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!"

Zatanna's eyes snapped to the owner of the voice, finding a man with dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a goatee on his chin standing up, anger clear on his face. A few of the people around him tried to restraint him and louds murmurs filled the theatre. Zatanna witnessed more people standing up, rebelling looks on their faces.

Her eyes went back to the man who shouted, seeing the furious look in his eye. He was angry for her, for how cruel the laws of vampires were…her eyes softened in a silent thank you.

"If Mr Rodriguez would let me finish," the prince said curtly. "I have decided to let this Kindred live."

Zatanna's whole body slumped with relief, almost to the point of crying when she heard those sweet words. Maybe someone was finally looking out for her.

"She shall be instructed in the ways of our kind and be granted the same rights. Let no one say I am unsympathetic to the flights and causes to this community. I thank you all for attending these proceedings and I hope their significance is not lost. Good evening."

The man gave her one last look before exiting the theatre with his people close behind him.

* * *

**Well, here is my attempt at a Vampire Masquerade: Bloodlines fanfic for NinesxOC. I'm disappointed at the lack of fics for him and none of them are M rated. Have you seen the game? YOU CAN DRESS UP LIKE A PROSTITUTE! Seriously people...come on.**

**Anyway, this is the prologue and the OC is a Tremere from what I could gather that they were pretty bad ass. I'd do a Malkavian but...I can't handle their fucked up minds nor even attempt it.**

**So enjoy and let me know what y'all think :)**


	2. Chapter 1 - Masquerade

**Chapter One:**

**Masquerade**

_I've shown you great clemency –_ Sebastian LaCroix.

As Zatanna exited the theatre via backstage after her 'charming,' chat with LaCroix, a voice startled her.

"What a scene, man! Hoo-wee! Then just plop ya out here like a naked baby in the woods. How 'bout that?" he paused, seeing the less than amused look on Zatanna's face. "Ah…look, kiddo, this is probably a lot for you to take in—"

"Oh no," Zatanna said bluntly, sarcasm in her voice as she crossed her arms across her chest. "No, this shit happens to me on a daily bases. (Of course this is a lot to take in you fucking red-neck!)"

He let out a low whistle. "Slow down kiddo, I don't understand Italian. For a Tremere, you sure have a lot of anger. You sure you're not a Brujah?"

"The fuck is a Brujah?" she snapped at him and he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Obviously, he wasn't used to dealing with people like her.

"Why don't you let me show you the ropes?" he offered and I looked at him suspiciously. "The name's Jack. What's yours kiddo?"

"Zatanna Ible," she answered simply, still looking at him warily but for some reason, he had a nice air around him. Some kind of sixth sense she was feeling in the back of her mind.

"Then kiddo, if you make it back from Santa Monica with your hide then we'll trade life stories, m'kay?"

**oOo**

**Day One…**

**Location: Santa Monica**

Jack wasn't as bad as she had thought, in fact, the guy was kind enough to show her a few things, teach her some stuff that apparently her sire was supposed to do.

Now that she was in Santa Monica, just before dawn, Zatanna was forced to wait inside her 'haven,' which the Camarilla used until night resurfaced. Looking down at her body, even through the brief darkness that filled her room from the curtains, Zatanna knew she had to change from the skimpy dress she was currently wearing.

_I don't have any money though…unless I can access my bank account. Maybe LaCrotch wouldn't mind, _she figured, heading to the desk that had a laptop on it, a yellow notepad with some writing on it, a note and an envelope. She grabbed the envelope first, opening it and finding $100 dollars inside before putting it back down on the desk.

_**At your convenience, please come and visit me in my home downtown. I leave you this to guide you.**_

_**Dark blood, our curse, slight this verse.**_

_**Such power I sense in one so young.**_

_**Come find me where burnt the mystical own.**_

_**M. Strauss, Tremere Primogen.**_

_Great, a riddle, _Zatanna muttered in her head, putting it back down before briefly looking at the yellow notepad. It had written, a message from some Mercurio guy she was supposed to help out. All it was telling her was her new password for the laptop provided by LaCroix.

Before checking her emails, she decided to raid what looked like a dresser and finding a pair of light blue jeans with rips near the knees and a black tank top.

"Beggars can't be choosers," she muttered, closing the door before turning her attention to the laptop and reading the emails. As she logged out after reading the reminder from LaCroix, exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. "(Better sleep before going on some insane job.)"

**oOo**

**Day Two…**

**Location: Santa Monica**

As soon as night had fallen over the city of Santa Monica, Zatanna had eagerly left the haven and was now walking down the street, ignoring the bums and men whistling out to her.

"(Now where did the email say to go?)" Zatanna murmured to herself in Italian, trying to recall as she walked further down the pavement. Something caught her eye, a man dressed in business like clothing with an annoyed look on his face. A burning sensation in her throat served as a reminder that she was now a vampire, and unfortunately vampires dined on blood. Fucking gross.

_Jack did say high class were some of the best kinds of blood, _she reminded herself as she approached him, flashing a smile in greeting. He looked startled by her before a look of distain filled his eyes, obviously seeing her attire.

"Eh? Yes, is there something I can, umm…help you with?" he asked her and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"What are you doing?" Zatanna asked him curiously, trying to ignore the blood thirst and a presence in the back of her mind surfacing. That must be the Beast Jack had warned her about.

"Waiting for that blasted tow truck I called an hour ago. I'd rather not wait another second in this part of town, this time of night. It's a rather dreadful place, don't you think?" he asked and without waiting for her reply, continued on with his rant. "I should've listened to my mechanic – 'buy German, -he said."

The urgency for the blood became stronger, calling her and she bit back a growl of irritation before looking at him straight in the eye. "_Meet me in the alley_," she told him, some kind of buzz hitting her mind as the words left his mind. A flash of red passed through his eyes before they disappeared completely.

"I've suddenly got the urge to walk down that…dark and foreboding alley over there. Care to join me?" he asked her in a monotone, trance like voice.

Zatanna frowned, confused to what just occurred before nodding. "I'll meet you there," she answered, watching him leave the sidewalk and headed down the alley before following after him.

As he stood by the stone wall, Zatanna, recalling the Masquerade, looking briefly over her shoulders before some kind of primal feeling overtook her senses. One minute she was checking for any unwanted eyes and the next her mouth is against the man's neck, the sweet, warm taste of blood filling her mouth and running down her throat.

_**Yes…drink….**_

Zatanna opened her eyes, pushing the man away from her as he slumped down against the wall, slightly passed out from the drain as she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, licking the small amount of blood.

Her thirst was gone, the Beast was once again no longer in her mind and she felt sick to her stomach. Small tears came to her eyes as she hugged herself briefly, hating what she had become.

"Oh god, I'm a monster," she whispered to herself, her voice filled with grief. A flash of anger as she remembered her sire caused the grief to disappear and she punched a nearby wall in a fit of anger. This was her life now and no matter what she thought of it, she had to accept it. Didn't mean she had to like it though.

Taking one last glance at the unconscious man, Zatanna forced herself out of that alley and headed towards Mercurio's place. Immediately, she smelt the scent of blood and found a trail of it leading to the last door on the right.

As she entered, finding a badly beaten man on the couch, lying in a pool of his own blood, she swallowed her disgust. "Jesus Christ, what the fuck happened?"

He tried to himself up but groaned in pain, settling for leaning on his elbow as he forced himself to look up. "I got…I went…uh…." He glanced down at his side. "What is this lump? Is this my rib? Oh, holy shit, my rib is pokin' through my side? Oh, I'm all numb…you gotta look and tell me."

Zatanna's face twisted with disgust. "It's a broken bottle," she snapped at him, looking away. "Now, tell me what happened to you."

"Goddamn chemist! Can't trust any operations in L.A. I verified him, organisation seemed reliable. Guys mixes up speed, his crew sells it. Occasionally does explosives. I set up a drop," he explained through a wheezed tone, occasionally grimacing in pain. "I show up at the beach with the money, right? Four of these guys, they came out of nowhere. Junkie pricks – hit me with a bat! Head feels like I got a freakin' horse kickin' it."

"I never shoulda gone alone…amateur move. I shoulda handled those pricks. Goddamn dirty Cali rat bastards," Mercurio cursed as more blood seeped through his clothing and onto the couch. "These cocksuckers – beat me rotten, left me for stiff. I had to crawl to my car, crawl my ass up here. The vamp blood's the only thing holdin' me together. But shit, they got the money, they got the Astrolite…"

That caught Zatanna attention and she frowned at him, crossing her arms across her chest. "Vamp blood?" she asked him, slightly disturbed by the mention of it.

"Right, you're straight off the bus," he realised, forgetting that little detail over the pain. "Once a month I get fed vampire blood. Heals me faster, makes me stronger than a normal human. I don't age," he laughed bitterly. "By lookin' at me, you wouldn't realise it, but I'm almost sixty."

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "Did you learn anything from this experience, genius?" she asked him sarcastically and her glared at her.

"Hold on – you think I'm some amateur?" he spat at her before wincing in pain. "I got their number. Those small-time sons of bitches live out in a dump on the beach. Maybe four or five of 'em. The one's got explosives is Dennis. Got my money too, that prick!"

Zatanna gave him a tired look. "How do I get there?"

"Layin' in a pool of my own blood and you want friggin' directions?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not exactly from around here."

Mercurio shook his head. "Right, alright: uh, down the street, in the parking garage, stairs down to the beach, on the right. Those better not be some o' my last words."

Zatanna turned on her heel and began walking out but looked back a bit, feeling a sense of pain of her own just looking at him. Somehow, his pain was transferring to her slightly. "Look, is there anything I can get you…for the pain?"

"I need somethin' for the pain," he groaned out, laying his head on the couch and Zatanna felt herself nod.

"Sit tight, I'll be back soon," she murmured, leaving the room.

**oOo**

Watching the shirtless guy standing out front, Zatanna carefully snuck around the van and went through a hole in the fence, pausing to make sure no one had heard her.

Honestly, this wasn't what she ever had in mind when LaCroix told her she would have 'trials,' to prove her worth. No lesson in law school ever mentioned about crawling through fences to get some explosives.

She heard voices coming from the house as she crept in the shadows, heading down the back and finding the power switch. An idea came to her mind as she quickly ran over to the switch, pulling it down and effectively shutting off all the power inside the house.

"What the—"

"Dude, who the hell turned off the power?!"

"Get the lights before I shove that controller up your ass!"

Zatanna quickly hid in the dark, pressing herself against the wooden fence behind as she waited. A moment later, a guy holding a baseball bat came out, muttering angrily under his breath.

_Please forgive me, _Zatanna prayed in her mind as she crept up behind him and snapped his neck. His dead body fell to the ground without a sound and she grabbed the bat from his dead body. She didn't have a gun and a clue how to fight with her fists so this would have to do.

Zatanna let out a shaky breath before closing her eyes and calming herself down and walking into the house. Immediately, the two men in the kitchen spotted her and charged at her with tire irons and another bat.

Tightening her grip on the bat, she began swinging it around, hitting their heads, faces, stomachs and even their crotch. Whatever made them fall unconscious worked for her.

Occasionally, one or two managed to get her on her arms or back before facing the wrath of her bat. After they fell to the ground, unconscious and bloody, Zatanna gripped one of her arms. Why the fuck did Mercurio believe she was cut out for this shit?

As footsteps filled her heightened hearing, she groaned softly as four men appeared, two carrying thirty-eights and the other a bat and another tire iron.

"Look what we've got here boys, a lost little lamb," one of them snickered in the dark as she narrowed her eyes, her vampire eyes seeing them clearly as day. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Give me Mercurio's money and the Astrolite," she spat as her throat burned with the familiar blood thirst. It was dark so they wouldn't know…

_**Drink…**_

Zatanna squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the Beast as the man she assumed was Dennis threatened to put bullets through her face. As the need for blood, mixed with her anger clouded her mind, her eyes flashed open. "_Give me the money and the Astrolite!_"

A moment of silence passed before the sounds of feet shuffling and two men left the room whilst the other two remained, in a trance like stare. Another buzz in the back of her mind, followed by the increasing desire for blood made Zatanna lunge at the two men, drinking their blood eagerly before dropping them to the floor. They were unconscious and most importantly alive as the other two returned, one holding a small package and the other an envelope full of money.

"Is there anythin' else we can get ya?" one asked in a monotone as Zatanna grabbed one of the thirty-eights, the Astrolite and the money.

"_No_," she answered briefly, feeling the buzz again. "_Forget you ever saw me_."

"Yes ma'am."

Zatanna was still freaked out by the whole thing as she left the beach house. Not noticing two figures hiding in the shadows, watching her carefully and curiously.

**oOo**

Okay, something was definitely going on.

Somehow, Zatanna made the receptionist behind the counter at the medical office allow her to pass through, exactly like she convinced the guy to go into the alley with her and those two men bring her the things she needed.

_Why didn't I ask Jack about these things? _Zatanna wondered as she walked passed a room, hearing the sounds of groaning and a flash of pain ran through her stomach. Wincing, she clutched her stomach before opening the door, finding a girl with short scarlet red hair and glasses groaning on a bed, blood seeping through her shirt.

"Uh…please…get a doctor," she moaned in pain. "Can someone call my grandmother…please?"

Zatanna continued to hold her stomach, feeling her pain as if it were her own as she recalled something Mercurio mentioned.

_Vampire blood….heals me faster…_

"Stay with me, I can save you," Zatanna told her quickly, shutting the door and finding a small knife on the counter. Desperately, she grabbed it and slashed her wrist, her blood pooling out as she rushed over. "Drink my blood."

Zatanna pressed her bleeding wrist to the girl's mouth and she drank it eagerly, slowly the pain disappearing on both of them. Zatanna retracted her wrist and the cut began healing automatically. She wiped the blood on the bed as the girl moaned, feeling the pain disappear as her injuries healed themselves.

"You alright?" Zatanna asked her hesitantly, wondering if it worked or she just fucked up on something.

"You…Wha—Who…wh-who are you? What did you do? What did you do to me?" she whispered in shock and Zatanna realised she did something wrong.

Fearing she violated the Masquerade, she felt the familiar buzz creep into the back of her mind as she focused on the girl's dazed eyes. "_I simply wanted to help. Forget I was ever here_."

The girl's eyes fluttered shut as she fell unconscious without another word. Zatanna let out a breath she had been holding before quickly leaving the room. It took her a moment to remember what she was here for before she snuck into the medical supplies and grabbed three bottles of morphine and some syringes.

As she began leaving the clinic, she took one last look at the door that led to the girl on her way past. The reality of the situation sunk in but…she wasn't afraid. Instead, she felt like she touched her humanity once more, something that put a smile on her face.

**oOo**

She looked at Mercurio's unmoving body and rolled her eyes. "Did you die on me, (idiot?)" she asked, poking his side and Mercurio groaned at her touch. "I brought you morphine, hold still," she told him before grabbing the needle, feeling it up with the pain killer and injecting it into Mercurio's arm.

He let out a sigh of relief as it began kicking in. "Oh sweet mother of joy…"

"I got the Astrolite," Zatanna informed him, showing him the small package and he looked at it. Rolling her eyes, she also presented the envelope before putting it on the floor. "And your money."

"Yeah? Didja waste those sons of bitches?" he asked and Zatanna nodded, leaving out the part that she only killed one, the others were unconscious or in a trance.

"What's the story with this Astrolite?" she asked curiously, crouching and studying his expression. He was looking better than before, hopefully the same could be said for that girl earlier.

"That Astrolite…twice as powerful as TNT. Instant demolition. Be on the other side of the world when you engage that trigger," he explained, no longer grimacing in pain, indicating that the drugs were working. "You need to make some place disappear – a warehouse. Looks to be a Sabbat interest."

This obviously was the trial LaCroix wanted her to complete, despite it not being in her best interests. With a tired sigh, she looked at the time on the clock hanging on the wall. It was midnight, still a couple hours before sunrise.

"How do I find this place then? I don't exactly have much time left," she pointed her head at the clock and Mercurio understood at how pressed for time they truly were.

"Well, there's a guy. I never met him, but I heard a lot about him. His name is Tung, Bertram Tung. He's one of o' types. If there's anyone who knows more than me about this city, it's him. Unfortunately, Tung's hiding out at the moment."

Zatanna let out an irritated growl. "(Of course, this would be too fucking simple,)" she grumbled in Italian, making Mercurio blink in confusion. "Is there any specific reason why he's lying low?"

"One word: Therese. Word is Therese and Tung are feuding – I don't know the details. My take's that Tung thinks he's about to get whacked, so he's gone underground till Therese calls it off," he shrugged his shoulders. "If you wanna put that warehouse into orbit anytime soon, you're gonna have to get Therese to call off the feud."

Sighing tiredly, seeing she had no other options, Zatanna stood up and flashed Mercurio a small smile. "Thanks for the info, hope you get better."

"I don't got your name," he pointed out and she felt the corners of her lips twitch in amusement as she reached for the door, opening it and looking back him.

"Ible, Zatanna Ible," she answered before leaving the room, closing the door with a firm shut.

* * *

**So here we are, chapter one! I'm honestly fine with it because you get to see Zatanna's morals, her hot blooded Italian side and how she's dealing with the whole I-got-turned-into-a-vampire-holy-fucking-shit.**

**Slap that liked button and let me know what's going on :)**


	3. Chapter 2 - Again

**Chapter Two:**

**Again**

_We're going to have a lot of fun with this one – Sabbat._

**Day Four…**

**Location: Downtown**

She should have expected it to be honest. After all, Zatanna _did _blow up their warehouse, killed quite a few of their men. Obviously the Sabbat weren't too pleased with her.

Well, they could take a fucking hike.

As she slowly came to, hearing the raspy voices that no doubt belonged to her captors, her mind was clouded.

"Let's drain her," one suggested eagerly, Zatanna slowly opened her eyes and found her vision blurry from the blow to the head.

"Let's just stake her and leave her for the sunrise."

The one in the dark blouse grinned at her, eyes full of lust. "We're going to have a lot of fun with this one," he reached down and grabbed her neck, lifting Zatanna up into the air with ease. "Think you could blow up our warehouse and get away with it? Huh, Lick?"

"Obviously," Zatanna spat, glaring at him in the eye with a fire to hers. "That's why it's in fucking ruins."

His eyes narrowed and he growled, throwing her at a wall roughly, making her back collide with the bricks and creating a small dent. The action knocked the wind out of her and she gasped, holding her stomach with one arm as she looked up. "Camarilla fuck!" he cursed out at her.

Fear filled her body as she shook slightly. Zatanna had no clue on what the Sabbat thugs were planning to do with her but from what she could gather, it wasn't pretty.

"_Stay_," Zatanna whispered, feeling some strength come to her. "_Away!_"

The Sabbat froze momentarily before snickering, the trance no working on them as it had with many others. Shock and more fear crept into her; somehow that little trick was all she had. If that was useless…then she was really screwed.

"That little mind trick of yours ain't gonna work, Warlock," he sneered at her, the other two cackling as he reached out for her. A gun shot filled the air, followed by the Sabbat falling to the ground slightly, a bullet hole through his cheek. "Son of a bitch."

Zatanna's eyes snapped over to her saviour and, much to her surprise, found it was the same man from back in the theatre a couple of nights ago. He had always seemed to rescue her.

"Leave," he ordered, pointing a gun at the Sabbat with a hard gaze that made Zatanna want to bend to his will.

"There's three of us, Rodriguez,"

"Yeah, what are ya gonna do?"

The man, Rodriguez, simply patted the grenade strapped to his belt, no words needed for the threat was evident. If Zatanna still had a heartbeat, no doubt it would be beating in wildly against her chest.

"This ain't over," the Sabbat warned and turned to Zatanna, his red eyes glaring at her. "We'll find you," he turned back to Rodriguez. "You too, Rodriguez. You're both dead, nobody messes with the Sabbat and lives."

Rodriguez wasn't interest in the Sabbat's threats. "Keep moving," he ordered them and they slowly skulked away. He moved his gaze from the retreating Sabbat to Zatanna, helping her up. "Trouble sure seems to like you."

"Unfortunately, it's actually become stalkerish now," Zatanna grumbled, rubbed her neck and flinched as the Sabbat tried to strike, only stopped by Rodriguez's gun pressed against the Sabbat's stomach.

"Good effort," he pulled the trigger, shooting the Sabbat and turning him into ashes. "Execution needs a little work. You look like shit."

Zatanna turned her gaze away from the pile of ashes, taking a better look at the man who has saved her not once, but twice from a second death. "Thanks…again for saving me."

"Like I said, trouble seems to like you. Can't help but keep you from it," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Name's Nines."

"Zatanna Ible," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Look, I had everything under control."

Nines snorted, looking at her with amusement. "Really? From where I was standing you looked like you were screwed. You didn't even fight back," he pointed out and shook his head in disbelief. "I knew Tremere weren't strong—"

"What did you just call me?" Zatanna asked a little more hostile than she would have liked; especially since the man _did _save her.

He raised an eyebrow at her tone of voice but didn't point it out. "That's the name of your clan. You," he frowned, looking at her with sadness flickering through his eyes. "You didn't know?"

"I've been left in the dark since I got bit," Zatanna replied, looking away from his blue eyes. "No one's told me jack. (I hate this,)" she murmured the last part quietly in Italian.

Nines surprised her with a soft smile. "(I get it,)" his Italian was a little roughish, but fluent nether less. Zatanna looked at him in awe, her eyes searching his for any hint of deception. All she found was burdened eyes filled with passion, anger and guilt. "(I know what it is like to have no one around to teach you, to educate you.)"

"Your sire was also killed."

"He was."

Zatanna's eyes softened and her hands dropped to her sides. "Great, you save me out of pity," she muttered bitterly and turned to leave when he grabbed her shoulder. Zatanna flinched and he withdrew his hand, frowning at her reaction.

"You alright?" he asked, the concern in his voice made her chest tighten with guilt for her reaction to his touch.

Zatanna nodded, stepping away and flashing him an apologetic smile. "Last time a guy touched me…well, this happened," she gestured to herself and Nines chuckled, understanding her reason without asking anything.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but you can't fight with the way you are now," Nines pointed out rather bluntly. "No offense."

"Some taken."

He shook his head, trying to hide the smile but it was already on his face. "Why don't you pay me a visit to the Last Round. Maybe I could show you a few moves so you _don't _get yourself killed."

Zatanna scoffed. "Didn't you just hear those Sabbat? I blew up their warehouse," she reminded him and saw the raised brow before sighing. "Fine, but I have to go see LaCroix first."

Zatanna didn't miss the obvious resentment in Nines's at the mention of LaCroix and wondered what the story was. Maybe she could convince him to tell her later.

Nines's clenched his jaw and stiffly nodded. "Better go then," he said and Zatanna gave him and awkward smile before walking away. "Hey, Zap!"

Frowning, Zatanna turned and realised he was referring to her. His face no longer held the resentment he once wore, but his eyes still held a bit of it in them.

"You might want to learn to use that blood magic of yours, could save your life," he offered and she continued to walk away.

**oOo**

**Day Four…**

**Location: LaCroix Foundation Tower**

For some reason, Nines's last words really stuck to her mind. Obviously, there no doubt in her mind that she was a shit fighter; it still amazed her how she managed to get out of that warehouse alive.

The elevator let out a _ching_, signalling that she had arrived at the penthouse floor and the doors opened. Zatanna let out a sigh before walking out of the small, cramped space and opened the doors, finding LaCroix.

He was sitting at his desk, a stone looking expression planted on his face with that giant man behind him, silent as usual. Telling herself to get this over and done with as soon as possible, she began slowly walking towards him.

"There you are," LaCroix stated, finally acknowledging her presence. "I was informed of your presence in the building. Since you're here, I'll take the liberty of assuming you've destroyed the warehouse…" his eyes studied her carefully. "This is correct, yes?"

"Yes that is—" Zatanna, much to her displeasure, was cut off by LaCroix who simply nodded.

"Most excellent," he said, trying to make it sound like a praise but it felt like the exact opposite to her. "I had no doubt you'd prove my decision a prudent one. I trust you encountered no…impediments to your progress on account of my personnel?"

_This man sure loves to hear his own voice, _a dry thought passed through her mind but Zatanna managed to keep a straight face. "None. None at all."

"_That_," he emphasised. "Is the answer I like to hear. You've done well, circumstances being what they were. I will admit, not many in your…position would have overcome such a trial. But don't misunderstand me; it was no fool's errand."

Although she knew better than to play with fire, Zatanna could help but not let the insult slide. "It never crossed my mind, Mr LaCroix. In fact, any praise from you would be none at all."

LaCroix didn't react as she had hoped, instead of anger crossing his face, it was slight amusement. "You may yet prove to be a genuine asset. Tell me, what would you say to doing a bit of reconnaissance for me?"

"Under most circumstances, I would say, 'yes sir,'" Zatanna informed him and held up her hand as she was not finished yet, much to the Prince's displeasure. "But considering I almost got _killed _by some Sabbat thugs who weren't too happy for my act in blowing up their warehouse, not to mention that I can't fight to save my goddamn life, I'll have to decline."

A dangerous look passed through LaCroix's eyes as he leaned forward, eyeing her carefully. "May I remind you, _fledgling_," he spat the name as if it were full of acid. "That you are still undergoing trials."

"Need I remind you, _sir_," she mirrored his tone. "That I understand fully of my situation but I still need to know some things before I blindly go on another insane job."

They both studied each other quietly; a silent staring contest had been initiated. Neither of them were going to back down, LaCroix was used to having others submit to him while Zatanna used to be a lawyer; she's used to this kind of egotistical treatment men gave her.

"I need to learn about my clan, about who I've 'supposedly,' become," she added quietly and LaCroix nodded, the contest over as he leaned back into his chair. Zatanna internally sighed in relief while he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Then may I offer you a suggestion; go and see the Tremere Primogen. He will no doubt instruct you and report to me when he had deemed you educated," he said in a dismissive tone. Zatanna nodded, turning on her heel and walking out of the building.

**oOo**

**Day Four…**

**Location: The Last Round Bar**

Zatanna could feel the eyes on her as she walked in, already feeling slightly out of place as the heavy metal music played throughout the bar. Taking a deep breath, she began walking over to the stairs when a dark skinned man stopped her in her tracks.

He looked at her with suspicion, his eyes trailing up and down her body while his arms were crossed over his chest. "Well, if it ain't the talk of the town; poster child for the Camarilla benevolence. What does the prince have his little bitch doin' today?"

Zatanna glared at him, not in the mood to deal with another asshole tonight. "Funny. Is Nine Rodriguez around here?" she asked in curtly.

"Nines is expecting you. Have some manners and don't wear out your welcome. I'm Skelter. Act up again and I'll be the one showing your ashes to the door," he warned her, standing taller to intimidate her.

Zatanna looked at him with angry eyes. "One thing you should learn, _Skelter_," she hissed at him, poking him hard in the chest. "Don't piss of an Italian if you want to keep your sad excuse of a male genital. Do I make myself clear?"

Before Skelter could even reply, a familiar red neck voice interrupted them. "Skelter, ya losin' your touch if ya getting' yelled at by a woman," Jack smirked, appearing halfway down the stairs. "Well look who's back from Santa Monica. How was it kiddo?"

"I didn't get much time to sight-see," she answered, following him up the stairs to the second floor of the bar. It was empty, except for Nines leaning against a wall with his hands in his pocket, a look of deep thought planted on his face.

Jack chuckled. "I can't imagine you did. Probably too busy getting' pushed around by every vampire with a week of seniority over you, am I right?"

"Not to mention Sabbat almost killing her," Nines added, looking at her as they approached him. "What were you thinking, using Domination discipline over them?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Could I just point out again, that _I've been left in the dark_! How the hell am I supposed to know anything?"

Jack shook his head. "Kiddo, didn't you learn anything that I taught ya?"

"I learned that you're a shit teacher."

Nines laughed and Jack had an amused look on his face while Zatanna just shook her head at the pair. She hadn't been in the bar for five minutes and she already liked it better than fucking LaCroix's penthouse.

"Let's get back on track here," she reminded the pair, looking at Nines. "You promised to teach me how to fight."

He nodded, the amusement gone and his eyes turned serious. "Before we get to that, here's what I got to tell you – and so you know, I don't lecture, I don't rap, I'm no bureaucrat."

"(But you rhyme,)" Zatanna smirked and he returned the gesture.

"(Yeah, I rhyme,)" he answered before shaking his head. "I'm just a guy out of nowhere cam to be involved in something five-hundred times bigger than you and me."

"Go on," she nodded.

"You got a right to know the score. The Camarilla – this is the short of it. They operate a lot like a pyramid scheme. There's a bunch of these old timers at the top, with God only knows what plots in mind. They lose their power, they die. They sired more to carry out their plans, and lookin' for a little power, then those Kindred sired for their own schemes and so on and on and on – it hurts my head just thinkin' about the mess. What works out is to this: only a few people at the top have any real power."

Zatanna frowned in confusion. "Isn't the prince the leader of the Camarilla?" she asked curiously, seeing as how that was the impression she got off the guy.

"LaCroix? Shit…" he shook his head. "LaCroix's just the guy who backstabbed and wheeled and dealed his way into becoming king son of a bitch of all local Camarilla. Him and any o' the traitors that sided with the Cam want power here, they'll get what's due."

"So what are you all about?" she asked, moving towards one of the tables and taking a seat since she was tired of standing on her feet. Nines joined her, Jack leaving them alone to discuss some things privately.

"I learned the way of this world during the depression. Bunch of old, rich bastards screwed the country, but did they suffer?" he asked in a bitter tone. "No, the little people suffered. You can't trust the people at the top. The world'd be a better place without 'em. All you can do is get a group of people together who aren't assholes, find a place to put your feet up, and make some examples of the quote-unquote elite to keep the res the hell out. Everyone's an equal here, the same thing this country used to be about. That's what LA has been, an Anarch Free State."

Zatanna shook her head. "The hell is an Anarch Free State?"

"The Camarilla was kicked out on their ass a long time ago. We, the anarchs, didn't want to play their politics any more. Now LaCroix and crew pop in like they never left – uh-uh, no goddamn way! Their laws don't apply to us."

"Not too much of a fan of the guy huh?"

Nines snorted. "LaCroix represents everything I hate – the Camarilla, stuck-up aristocrats, rich businessmen, crooked politicians—"

"What about a DA?" she asked him curiously and he raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't have taken you as a DA, you don't seem to have the patience or the manners for one," he commented, taking a double look at her.

Zatanna rolled her eyes, leaning an elbow on the table. "I have patience for only certain types of people," her eyes stared at the table for a second, remembering her last case. "(I understand how unfair law systems can be.)"

She took a look at the time by the watch on Nines's wrist before sighing. "I should head back; I don't exactly want to leave this world dying of a sun tan."

"Alright, before you leave though, here's what I tell all the new blood: One, you get careless, that blood'll make you into a monster – but you rampage 'round here you get put down. Two, don't kill when you feed – there's no reason to. In this city, there's lots of ways to stake the Beast without leaving a trail of dead. Three, the Camarilla's full o' shit. Four, watch your back, always," he gave her a look. "And lastly, learn how to fight, cuz a speech ain't gonna save your ass when you're starin' down the barrel of a shotgun. In your case, you need it more than others."

Zatanna rolled her eyes, standing up and pursing her lips at him. "You'll never let me live that down, won't you?"

Nines smirked, a guilt free kind of one that made a small spark run through the back of her spine. When he smiled, she had to admit he was attractive. "(Can't blame a man for using it at every opportunity,)" he shrugged. "You comin' back here tomorrow?"

Zatanna felt her own smirk rise. "Already missing me?" she joked and he laughed.

"Like a bad disease."

"Gee, Nines, you _sure _know how to make a girl feel special. Remind me to never represent your ass when you're in trouble."

Jack's laughter could be heard from downstairs, erupting two equally paired grins from the Brujah and the Tremere. "At your suggestion and a certain letter, I'm going to see the Tremere Primogen. Hopefully he can teach me a couple of things."

"Good, hate having to keep saving your ass," his eyes softened briefly. "Once you've finished that and square thing with LaCroix, don't give that son of a bitch the time o' night. I got my eye on you, Zap."

"Sounds stalkerish," Zatanna said in mock shutter before walking back downstairs, running into Jack on her way out.

"Hey kiddo, you ever need some help then ol' Jack here can lend ya a few hands," he reminded her and she smiled softly at him, touched by his offer.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she replied before exiting out of the Last Round.


	4. Chapter 3 - Magia

**Chapter Three:**

**Magia**

**Day Five…**

**Location: Tremere Chantry, Downtown**

As soon as she stepped through the front doors, an odd sense of peace and calm befell her mind and body. It felt weird and made Zatanna feel violated as she walked down the long corridor, the wallpaper, the floor…everything about the place screamed, 'HIGH CLASS,' to her.

At the end of the hall, after turning left, Zatanna found double doors, leading into a grand room with books everywhere, red velvet love seats, a grand coffee table and a giant fire place…with a bald man in front of the burning wood. His red eyes were hidden behind round glasses, a red coat draped over his shoulders as he looked at her in interest.

"Greetings, neonate. Might I assume you received my invitation?" he asked and Zatanna nodded.

"My apologises for not coming sooner, I had…prior engagements," she informed him and he waved it away.

"No matter, I have been looking forward to meeting you since your near execution."

Zatanna rubbed her arms awkwardly. "I assume you are…"

"Strauss. Maximillian Strauss. I am the regent of this chantry. Welcome," he offered his hand and she shook it lightly before quickly withdrawing it back to her side.

"Thanks," she murmured, taking a better look at her surroundings. "What is this place?"

"Ah, yes…forgive me," he apologised, remembering the small detail of how she came into the Kindred world. "I forget that you were not Embraced within the pyramid. We share the same blood, you and I, but there is much you have yet to learn about our clan."

"You're of the Tremere clan," she stated, recalling what LaCroix briefly told her and what she could gather of her own, rather limited, knowledge.

"Yes, this new life in which you find yourself undoubtedly seems strange. I'm sure you have many questions, young one. I will answer those which I am able."

Zatanna sighed in relief. "(It's about time,)" she said, forgetting that she was no longer speaking English. Realizing her mistake, she quickly gave him an apologetic smile before clearing her throat. "What is a, 'chantry,'?"

"A chantry is a local gathering place for those of the Tremere clan. I live here, as do apprentices from time to time."

"What did you mean, 'Embraced within the pyramid,'?" she asked him, recalling that stuck out to her like a sore thumb.

"The pyramid is the social structure of our clan, with each level advancement watched over by the next," he explained and Zatanna inwardly rolled her eyes. What was with everyone and a damn pyramid structure? "There are apprentices here at the chantry who are my charges, and I have a lord who watches over me and other local regents, and so on."

"In most cases, Tremere are _very _selective about who they Embrace and how it is done. There are traditions and laws that we adhere to, so the circumstances of your Embrace were, let us say…." He struggled to find the right word. "Unconventional. Therefore, you are 'outside,' the pyramid."

Zatanna nodded, getting a rough understanding of what he was saying. "I'm not going to lie, I'm not interested in this whole 'pyramid,' thing you have got going on. I just need someone to teach me on how to use my…powers," she explained what had occurred during her little trip to Santa Monica and how it worked on the humans but failed with the Sabbat.

Strauss nodded, listening and never interrupting her until she finished. He leaned back on the opposite love seat and watched her carefully, a thoughtful look on his face. "What you are describing, young one, was the Domination discipline. Our clan are known to be quite powerful in that area, along with the Ventures. There is no doubt in my mind that you require further instruction with our ways. And if it is indeed in Prince LaCroix's best interest that you require such knowledge. Then, it will be my honour in instructing you."

"Thank you," she smiled warmly for the first time in ages.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-five…**

**Location: Tremere Chantry, Downtown**

For once in her life, Zatanna felt like she finally had power. Had the power to right the wrongs of overs, to stand up for the weak…and control her own fate. After twenty, gruelling days under Strauss's teachings and guidance, Zatanna had a enough knowledge and control of her blood magic to confidently take down anyone if she wished to.

"You have been a valid, if not, successful student these past days," Strauss complimented her, placing a hand on her shoulder as they stood out the front of the Tremere Chantry. "Consider this place your home if you ever need it and my knowledge at your disposal."

"Thank you again, master," she bowed slightly at the waist before walking out of the garden and onto the pavement. Although she was supposed to report to LaCroix as soon as she was done, the idea of catching up with Jack seemed more appealing to her.

It was the only place she felt welcomed to since she was forced into this new life anyway.

As she climbed up the stairs, the furious pale blue eyes of a scarlet hair woman met hers. "Sabbat chase you in here, Cammy?" she sneered at her and Zatanna was taken back with her sudden attitude.

"Why do you ask? Not like it happened anyway for your information," Zatanna replied calmly, although she doubted that would remain for long.

"Heard Nines saved your ass again. You think LaCroix would've stopped counting his money long enough to get your back, jack?"

Zatanna crossed her arms over her chest, not liking where this was going one bit. Her aura shone out to her, fiery red all over the place. From her teachings with Strauss, she recalled red being anger or passion. By this woman's attitude, anger stood out more as the likely answer. "I could've handled those incidents; it wasn't his problem to solve."

She snorted bitterly, not believing her one bit. "If it hadn't been for Nines calling the prince out in that courtroom," she rolled her eyes, looking at Zatanna in disgust. "Looks like things worked out for LaCroix anyway – got himself a new errand girl out of it."

Anger flashed through Zatanna's eyes as she clenched her fists. "The fuck is your problem anyway?"

"You want to know what my problem is? YOU are my goddamn problem. Anyone who would lay it down for some cape in an ivory tower deserves what they get," she sneered in disgust, poking Zatanna in the chest roughly, no longer hiding her resentment for Zatanna.

Zatanna grabbed her finger, her eyes glowing yellow dangerously. "I decide my own fate," she told her in a harsh tone, barely controlling her anger and she shoved Zatanna away, making her fly a good few feet away from her and onto her ass.

"Yeah? By sleeping with that fuckin' prick?" she challenged and just as Zatanna was about to lunge at her, a hand held her back as Nines stepped in front of the woman.

"Let me go!" Zatanna screamed, trying to break free of her captor but it was no use against their strength. "(I'll fucking put that whore in her place when I shove my size five foot up her ass!)"

"If ya want to insult someone, make sure ya speak English," Jack's irritated voice said loudly as she continued to glare at the woman. She mirrored Zatanna's look while Nines sighed tiredly.

"Damsel, cut the crap. It's no use starting a fight that you'll easily win," Nines told her and Zatanna snarled at him.

"(You saying I still can't fight?)" she demanded from him, no longer caring if she wasn't speaking English. As far as she could tell, he was the only one who spoke her language and understood it anyway.

"(Against Damsel it's a losing fight,)" he explained in a calm tone that just pissed her off even further. "(Besides, wouldn't want your face to get messed up by an angry female Brujah.)"

"(Go fuck yourself,)"

"If you two are done, can we switch to a language _everyone _understands?" Jack snapped, forcing the two of them to change their current language. Damsel glared at Zatanna once more before storming downstairs and slamming the bar front door shut. Nines sighed tiredly as Jack helped Zatanna up onto her feet.

"Why did you provoke her?" Nines asked her, crossing his arms over his chest and Zatanna looked at him in outrage.

"_I _provoked her?" she asked in disbelief. "That bitch started it!"

"Watch who you're calling a bitch," Nines warned her, a dangerous look passing through his eyes.

For some reason, it hurt Zatanna to see him taking her side, not taking into account that it was actually Damsel who started the fight in the first place. "Wow, for all your talk about the little people, you don't seem to take into account the difference between the truth and your biased opinion," she said curtly before turning her attention to Jack. "I came to talk to you, but I can see that I'm not longer welcomed here."

Jack's eyes held a look of understanding. "Give me your address, I'll stop by later."

She handed him the address to the haven in Downtown before turning on her heel and leaving the bar, not even looking at Nines anymore.

**oOo**

Nines watched her go before looking away, finding Jack giving him a look of disapproval. "What?"

"I sometimes wonder 'bout whether or not ya got a brain in that skull of yours," Jack shook his head at the Anarch leader. "That kid's got the perfect position for our plan, she's in with LaCroix and she's a Tremere."

"What's your point?"

"We _need _her."

Nines took that into account as his friend walked downstairs, no doubt going to meet up with the new blood. A sigh escaped his lips as he tried to calm himself down, no use gettin' worked up over nothin' and lettin' the Beast run loose.

He went downstairs as well and went to the bar, grabbing his usual from the bar and throwing that down his throat. As he ordered a second one, this time drinking it slowly, he mauled over Jack's words.

_She's in with LaCroix and she's a Tremere…_

_We need her…_

_He's right, _he sighed irritably, much to his displeasure. Zatanna seemed like a nice girl, from the times he's met her when her life wasn't in danger. When he first saw her at the execution of her sire, he saw the fire burning in her eyes, the look of confusion and outrage at what had happened to her. He knew then that she was going to be put to death for someone that was never her choice.

The bar door opened, revealing a slightly calmer Damsel who immediately spotted Nines sitting at the bar. "Thought Cammy would've stuck around."

"Feeling guilty?" he asked her and saw that she was; now he felt like an idiot. He accused Zatanna of starting the fight but, judging from Damsel's body expression, she was innocent all along.

"Look, I want to apologise to her. Is she still here?" Damsel asked and Nines shook his head, taking a couple of sips from his Scotch.

"Left about a couple of minutes ago with Jack. Said she needed to talk with him," he answered, feeling guilty about the way he handled things. Despite her more or less, warm personality for a Tremere, Nines only briefly knew the girl. It was logical that he would take Damsel's side.

"Maybe I can catch up with them," Damsel said, a little bit of hope hidden in her voice and Nines shook his head, looking at her.

"Bad idea, she's still pretty pissed at you."

Damsel raised an eyebrow, taking a better look at her friend before smirking at him. "Looks like I'm not the only one who fought with Cammy tonight."

Nines could only agree.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-six…**

**Location: The Elizabeth Dane**

Zatanna Ible was a woman who held grudges, she would admit it. When someone's pissed her off or hurt her, then she'll stay angry at them for long periods of time. It was a simple fact.

She was still stewing in anger as she crept along the shadows of the cargo ship, making sure to stay out of sight. She had already gotten the police report and the cargo sheet. Now all she needed to do was take a closer look at the Ankaran Sarcophagus before leaving the bloodied ship and reporting her findings to LaCroix.

As a guard walked dangerously close to her position against a metal container, Zatanna's eyes found the guards as she felt the buzz in the back of her head. "_Go and check the front of the ship_," she whispered softly, knowing the trance had worked as he frowned.

"I'm going to go and check the front of the ship," he told his partner in a trance like tone. "In case we missed anything."

"Whatever, just don't be too long. This place gives me the creeps," his partner replied, looking away as the guard left the area. Zatanna waited a few more moments before quietly moving closer towards the large broken crate, revealing the Ankaran Sarcophagus.

Zatanna stepped closer, running her hands along the smooth, stone surface that made up the sarcophagus. Some kind of ancient inscriptions were written along the sides and the rims, a large circle in the middle of the sarcophagus.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Zatanna quickly spun around, finding the guard looking at her in alarm, pointing a gun straight at her. As there was blood along the surface and floor of the cargo hold, Zatanna felt her fingers dance slightly in the air beside her until LaCroix's voice filled her mind.

_You must not kill anyone._

"_Come here_," Zatanna ordered, looking at the scared guard in the eye. A flash of red passed through his eyes before he relaxed, walking over to her in a zombie like state. Taking his face into her hands, she pressed his forehead against her, feeling the draining of blood and the buzz in the back of her mind. "_You will forget I was ever here. There was no woman on the ship, in this place tonight. Everything went smoothly_."

"I never saw anyone…here tonight…no women on ship at all…everything…went smoothly," he replied in a monotone voice, signalling to Zatanna that it had worked.

"_Close your eyes for one minute, when you reopen them, resume your duties,_" she instructed him, releasing her grip on his face and taking a step back, watching him close his eyes.

As soon as his line of sight was closed, she dashed out of the cargo hold, sneaking past the guards before heading towards the deck. Her ears picked up sounds of footsteps coming closer.

Zatanna glanced down the railing, seeing her boat further away from the currents and silently cursing LaCroix, before pushing herself off of the railing and diving into the cold, dark water.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-six…**

**Location: Tremere Chantry, Downtown**

As Zatanna dressed herself in the white blouse and long black cuff pants, her mind was wandering on her lack of clothing. Now, she could always order online for more clothing, but that might take too long. It's not like there were many clothing stores opened at late hours of the night.

A soft knock at the door broke her from her thoughts, opening slightly and revealing one of the many apprentices dressed in black robes, covering their face. "Regent Strauss would like to see you," a soft voice informed her and she nodded.

"Show me the way then," Zatanna gestured, leaving the room and following the hidden apprentice. It still freaked her out, seeing them like this and she often found herself wondering if she had drank the blood of the Elders, would she have turned out like them?

"Ah, neonate, I trust the clothes fit you well," Strauss observed as Zatanna walked into the drawing room, the apprentice leaving them be. "Your clothes shall be delivered to your haven."

"Thank you," Zatanna bowed her head slightly in thanks and respect.

"Is there something on your mind, little neonate?" Strauss asked, seeing the conflict in Zatanna's eyes. She looked at him, betraying her surprise on her face before looking away briefly.

"No, master," Zatanna lied and before he could question further, she smiled brightly at him. "Thank you for everything, I'll try and visit as much as I can."

Instead of questioning her further like he would have, Strauss simply nodded and watched her leave the room and no doubt the chantry. She didn't say a word as she left the place, walking straight home since it would no doubt be sunrise soon. She'll deal with LaCroix in evening, Zatanna needed to get her head on straight first.

As she turned the corner onto the street where the haven was, her eyes found something she wasn't ready to deal with as Nines stood on the steps outside of the apartment complex.

Feeling eyes on him, Nines looked over and saw her standing there, no doubt taking in her 'new,' look. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Zatanna walked over and past him, ignoring him completely.

"I need to talk to you," Nines spoke and Zatanna bit her bottom lip in frustration.

"Everyone does these days," she muttered, entering through the front door and heading up the stairs. "What makes you any different than the others?"

"'Cause I came to apologise."

Zatanna paused on the floor they were on, her floor and took a better look at him. His eyes did have a sincere apology in them but she couldn't rely on her eyes alone. Blinking once, she looked through his aura and saw the green, light blue and the usual red along with flickers of gold.

Blinking the aura away, she looked at his face. "How'd you find out where I lived?"

"Jack gave me the address," he answered with a shrug and Zatanna silently made a note to talk to her 'adopted,' sire. "Look, the shit that went down…I shouldn't have said those things."

"Just stop, I get it," Zatanna crossed her arms over her chest. "At least I know the _true _score now," she turned and walked down the hall, stopping at the end and reached for her keys when Nines slammed his hand on the door, next to her.

"(That's not what I meant at all and you know it,)" he said quietly, forcing Zatanna to turn around and nearly jump at how close his face was to hers. She looked into his eyes before feeling her gaze flicker to his lips. The desire to reach over and kiss him was alien to her, something that she shouldn't be wanting. After all, she came into this world _through _a sexual vehicle, she should know better than to get involved with vampires. "(Damsel doesn't get mad without a reason. When I saw the two of you, instinctively I went to her side without thinking and I hurt you. I'm sorry, kid.)"

Zatanna opened her mouth to say something when her alarm went off on her phone. Quickly digging for it, she saw it was the alarm saying sunrise was almost here. "Shit," she muttered, turning and unlocking the door and walking in, looking back at Nines. "Are you coming in?"

"Am I allowed in?"

"Fine, stay there and burn," she shrugged, walking over to her curtains and closing them shut as she heard the front door close. She knew he was in the small apartment since his scent of metal, pinewood and cigarette filled her heightened senses. "Make yourself at home."

Zatanna turned from the windows and glanced at him briefly, seeing him heading to her kitchen and looking in the fridge, no doubt finding her blood packs. She still felt sick at her new diet, it was wrong and inhumane but she needed it to survive. Much to her displeasure.

"What's with the new clothes?" he asked curiously, grabbing two cups and pouring the blood pack into them.

Zatanna glanced down at them briefly before heading to the laptop and logging on to Myers online. "My old ones got wet from my little swimming excursion earlier."

She heard movements and saw a cup being placed beside her as she shopped online. A few moments later, the TV went on with Nines silenced for a while, watching a reply of the news. While he was distracted, Zatanna could finally dwell on her earlier thoughts.

She wanted to kiss Nines.

It was as simple as that.

But then again, it wasn't. Zatanna felt nothing romantic towards the Brujah, except noting he was handsome and probably made any girl's night wild and pleasurable. Her mind then turned to darker things, her and Nines….on the bed…

"(Stop it,)" she growled lowly to herself, shaking her head and accidentally drawing the attention of her guest.

"Everything alright?" Nines asked her and Zatanna sighed tiredly.

"Everything's just fucking great."

* * *

**Slap that review button and let me know what y'all think about it :D**


	5. Chapter 4 - Magnet

**Chapter Four:**

**Magnet**

**Day Twenty-seven…**

**Location: Downtown Haven**

Zatanna and Nines began walking down stairs, chatting happily with each other. During the course of the mini sleepover, Nines and Zatanna managed to patch things up, something she enjoyed immensely.

"You coming to the Last Round later?" he asked Zatanna who nodded, reaching the last step and heading towards the front door.

"After I deal with LaCrotch," Zatanna told him, opening the door and stepping out into the cold night. Nines followed her and then tensed behind her. Frowning, she turned to ask him what was wrong when her eyes found a girl with short scarlet red head standing there, looking straight at Zatanna with happy filled eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Hey!" she practically jumped at the chance to speak and then realised her mistake when Nines glared at her. "Please don't blow me off, okay?"

"(Do you know this girl?)" Nines asked her, still keeping his eyes on the girl and Zatanna racked her brain, trying to figure it out.

"(I think I met her back in Santa Monica…)" she murmured and then nodded at the girl who began to babble on like crazy.

"Someone told me I could find you here. I mean, I've been looking all over for you since that night, because I just wanted to…I'm in your debt," she explained and it and finally clicked with Zatanna.

"You're that girl from that clinic," Zatanna snapped her fingers, finally recalling where she had seen this girl.

Smiling, she nodded and continued to speak while Nines looked between the two. "I want to…help you. I owe you my life an…I feel like I need to repay you…"

"What's your name?" Nines stepped in, having Zatanna shoot him an annoyed look to which he ignored.

The girl looked at him briefly, fear flickering through her eyes before looking back at Zatanna. She couldn't blame the girl for being afraid of Nines; the guy scares the shit out of a lot of people.

"I'm Heather, Heather Poe," she paused and looked a little awkward. "I'm not weirding you out or anything, am I?"

Zatanna chuckled bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's hard to do these nights," she said curtly before shaking her head and giving Heather a small smile. "You look much better, I'm glad."

"Only because of you – what you did for me."

Nines narrowed his eyes at Zatanna in suspicion. "(What did you do?)"

"(I saved her life,)" Zatanna replied, looking at him with a calm gaze. "(I found her near death's door and gave her some of my blood since I had heard it had healing properties.)"

Nines groaned, rubbing the bridge between his eyes and shaking his head. Heather looked confused beyond hell and Zatanna frowned at his reaction. Finally, after a few moments, Nines looked at her with a stone face. "(You just made her your ghoul by doing that!)"

"(And that is exactly?)"

"(A human servant.)"

Zatanna swallowed at the revelation, looking at Heather in a new light. Heather, seeing the hesitation in Zatanna's eyes quickly began pleading with her. "I can be useful to you…I'd do anything – just tell me you'll let me help you…let me stay with you…make me feel this way."

"(Oh my god….)" Zatanna covered her mouth slightly, seeing Heather's aura and finding there was sincerity and truth behind the human girl's words. "(What should I do?)"

Nines softened his gaze at her. "(She's not going to leave you alone and she'll probably be killed by another vampire. Do whatever you think makes her safe and doesn't violate the Masquerade.)"

Zatanna took a deep breath and looked at Heather. "Head up to my apartment, I'll…I'll deal with you later."

"Really?" Heather beamed brightly. "I promise you won't regret it! Promise! I'll get you money; I'll get you things…everything! I want to be…important to you."

Zatanna sighed tiredly, shaking her head at Heather. "Don't…just go up there and amuse yourself. I'll be back later."

Heather nodded and headed inside while Zatanna looked down at the ground, suddenly sick again for what she had done. What she did out of her damn habit of helping others turned into someone's sick, twisted game. She hated herself more than ever for it.

Nines saw the look on Zatanna's face and placed a hand on her shoulder, getting the Tremere to look at him. "What's done is done."

"Doesn't make the guilt go away," she shrugged off his hand and ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "I just ruined a perfectly good life."

"Or made it better," he pointed out and she shook her head.

"I could see it in her aura, she has a pretty good life with her grandmother…and I've completely destroyed that."

Nines ruffled her hair, walking ahead and looking back at her. "Drown your pity in a drink later, my treat."

Zatanna didn't say anything as she watched him disappear down the street before heading off on her own destination.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-seven…**

**Location: LaCroix Foundation Tower**

"I've said all I need to, for now," LaCroix's voice was picked up by her heightened hearing as she walked out of the elevator. A moment later, the door opened, revealing three men and one woman.

"Master Strauss," Zatanna greeted in surprise and the Tremere Primogen smiled briefly at her before heading to the elevator with the others. She looked back before shaking her head, entering the room, finding LaCroix standing behind his desk.

"I don't have time for a monologue. Give me the…bullet points of what you saw," he sighed tiredly and Zatanna held back an insult, wanting to get straight to the point.

"Everyone on board was massacred. There weren't any survivors," Zatanna answered, recalling the bucket loads of blood and no bodies in sight.

"And the Ankaran Sarcophagus – what did you see?" he pressed further and Zatanna frowned slightly but continued to answer.

"There was blood all over the floor. Handprints indicate it was opened from within."

LaCroix's face was filled with surprise for a brief moment. "Opened?" he questioned but then dismissed it along with masking his emotions. "Let's not jump to conclusion. Give me the manifest and your notes, I'll sort this mess later. You might have noticed when you came in, the parade of malingering mollycoddles filing out."

"Yeah," Zatanna placed her note pad on the table and crossed her arms over her chest. "Who were they?"

"Those were the primogen – this city's clan elders – a worrisome bunch devoted first and foremost to the security of their own skin. Which is why they were here. It seems Alistair Grout, the Malkavian Primogen, has either forgotten HOW to answer his phone….or is missing," he answered in an unimpressed tone. "The Sabbat's appearance has put the primogen on edge. Grout's mansion is in the Hollywood Hills. I need you to pry Grout out of whatever crack he's crawled into and haven him contact us."

"Certainly, is that all?" Zatanna forced herself to say, groaning mentally from the task. Honestly, so far, her encounters with Malkavians haven't been too swell. Therese was a complete nutter, thinking she had a sister called Jeanette who really was her the entire time. After sorting them out, at least Zatanna had found an ally in Jeanette.

"Yes, for the moment," LaCroix regarded her for a moment, an impressed look on his face. "You know, your demeanour thus far bears similar characteristics to those that rise to the top of this organisation. Stay that course."

Zatanna just nodded. "Thank you, sir. About Grout…" she prompted him to continued and LaCroix caught his thoughts.

"Yes, about Grout: as I said, Grout is the Malkavian primogen. His behaviour and home are…eccentric, to say the least. He's developed a paranoid bent lately, so you may have to check under every bed in the place for him."

"I'll go take care of that then," she took a step back and began walking away when LaCroix called out to her once more. She paused in mid-step, glancing over her shoulder at him and finding him studying her.

"When we hear from Grout, you may come back," he informed her, looking at her face now and sat down at his desk. "Until then…"

She didn't say anything as she walked out.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-seven…**

**Location: Last Round Bar**

Nines stood up as she walked upstairs, greeting Skelter with a nod and finding Damsel with Nines and Jack. By the annoyed look on her face, he could tell something was wrong.

"What's he sendin' you on now?" Nines asked and she rolled her eyes.

"I have to get Grout to contact LaCrotch," she muttered bitterly, ignoring the snickers from Jack and Damsel at her nickname for the Prince and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry I can't stay for long."

Nines glared at the table for a bit before sighing, shaking his head. "Ain't your fault, Zap. Have you talked with Heather yet?"

"No, I was going to head over after stopping here."

"Stay safe," he told her, subconsciously reaching over and grabbing her hand with his. Zatanna looked at the hand in surprise before pulling away and swallowing the emotions hitting her at once.

"I always do," she teased before turning and walking down the stairs.

"Wait, Cammy!" Damsel trailed after her, stopping Zatanna from leaving as she looked at the female Brujah. She wasn't happy or too impressed with Damsel still. "Look, sorry for the way I treated you the other night. It's just with all the shit's been going down lately – and on top of it this plague bearer is getting the CDC's attention – maybe I misjudged you's all I'm saying."

"Plague bearer?" Zatanna frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"A plague bearer's a fool that doesn't care who they feed from. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, we can't get sick – but the kine can, and Kindred that feed on them start spreading disease. Enough get sick, it's an epidemic, CDC's in town as we speak," she explained and now Zatanna knew the answer to the men in hazard suits she'd seen walking around lately.

"How'd we get rid of it?" Zatanna asked.

"Seen 'Old Yeller?' May sound cruel, but it's necessary. If someone puts two and two together as to the real cause of an outbreak of blood borne diseases, guess what happens?"

Zatanna felt herself swallowing the dread that rose in her throat. "The Masquerade gets violated."

"If the Camarilla really gives a damn, they'll help us out," Damsel agreed but Zatanna shook her head, snorting lightly at the idea.

"They're worried about other things at the moment," she murmured, recalling what LaCroix told her about the Sabbat problem. "Look, I'll sort it out. Where would I start?"

Damsel gave her a doubtful look. "No offence, Cammy, but I don't think a newbie like you can handle this."

"Then why bring it to me if you don't expect me to personally deal with it?" Zatanna challenged her in her old DA tone when prosecuting the defendant. By the surprise and slightly fear in Damsel's eyes, Zatanna knew she still had the magic touch.

"Fine, one of our boy's ghouls, name's Paul, lives nearby in the Skyeline apartments. Been a stranger lately. Looked like death last time he was here. Said he didn't get bit but…maybe you could get more info out of him."

Zatanna nodded. "I'll go check it out when I get back."

"If Paul's not talking, you might want to start questioning the homeless pop. So many have been dying lately that it takes the city a few days to pick up the bodies," Damsel added and Zatanna waved it off, heading out of the Last Round Bar.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-seven…**

**Location: Downtown Haven**

Heather beamed when Zatanna walked through the door, sitting right up from the bed. "I was wondering how long you were going to take."

"Look, before you get all _this_," she gestured to Heather. "On me, I have to lay down a few rules."

"Whatever you need," Heather purred slightly and Zatanna sighed tiredly.

"You won't be staying with me but with your grandmother. I want you to still have a normal life," she informed her seriously, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down at her ghoul. "I'll be transferring money to your account so you and your grandmother can move closer while you still attend college."

Heather nodded, pouting slightly at the mention of college. "But I don't want to go to college, I want to serve you all the time!"

"No," Zatanna told her sharply, making the girl fall silent. She quickly cleared her throat, looking at Heather with softer eyes. "What I did to you changed you forever and I'm sorry for that. However, I might need you so I'll grab your number off of you. You will have access to my business bank account in case I need you to buy something. After college you will come here at four and leave around eight. Is that understood?"

"Yes…."

"Zatanna."

Heather smiled warmly, running over to hug her when she hesitated and changed her mind, shaking hands with Zatanna. "Thank you so much! I won't let you down, ever!"

"Go home and tell your grandmother that you got a new job and your transferring over here," she instructed before Heather left the haven, smiling brightly on her way out. Zatanna sighed tiredly, heading over to her bed and collapsing on top.

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-eight…**

**Location: Grout's Mansion, Hollywood Hills**

Zatanna walked through the iron gates, surprised to see Nines walking out of the mansion. "Nines?" she called and he froze, staring at her in surprise and shock.

"You!" he exclaimed and then quickly recovered himself. "What are you doing here?"

There was something not right with him, making Zatanna frown and study him better. "I might ask you the same thing."

"No," he answered immediately and a knot tied up in Zatanna's stomach.

"That wasn't really a yes or no question," she pointed out to him in a wary tone, looking at him suspiciously.

Before she could question him further, Nines gaze shifted away from her briefly before looking back at her. "You should get out of here. This place is bad news. Uh…pardon me," he walked past her, making Zatanna watch his back in disbelief.

'_Pardon me,'? Since when did Nines say things like that? _Zatanna frowned, blinking and studying his aura. It was off, _way _off. Not the usual passion, bright colours it always bore but dark, dangerous ones. It unnerved her a lot as she walked through the front door of the mansion.

Immediately, she spotted a girl who looked to be no more than a teenager in a corner, burying her face in her hands with her shoulders shaking, probably crying.

"Are you alright?" Zatanna asked, stepping towards her when the girl suddenly turned around, her eyes pulled out of her sockets so only the black holes of where her eyes once were. A frightened sound escaped Zatanna's lips as she jumped back in time as the girl swung at her with a sharp kitchen knife.

Zatanna summoned her blood magic and held a hand out at the girl, quickly clenching it as a red magic circle appeared underneath the girl. Like the sound of sauce boiling in a hot pot, the blood inside the girl began to boil until she finally exploded into tiny pieces, blood and insides splattering along the wall.

"Let's hope Grout has good cleaning ladies," Zatanna murmured to herself, checking her body to see if she got any blood on her blouse. Finally, with a guilty look, she quickly made a silent prayer to the girl before exiting the foyer and heading inside.

As soon as she spied more of those….crazy victims, Zatanna knew it was going to be a _long _night.

**oOo**

**One Hour Later…**

She absolutely hated the Malkavian mansion.

For some ungodly reason, either the man really was paranoid that someone was going to come in and kill him in the middle of the night, _or _he was really intelligent enough to create his ENTIRE mansion into one big puzzle. Or he wanted to fuck with the minds of burglars.

Zatanna also learned the hard way to not try and _feed _off of the crazy ghoul victims she encountered. Lest she wanted to throw up the foul tasting blood in a corner again, staining her shirt.

Every once in a while, she would encounter a recording of Grout speaking of his research. The things he did….what he discovered and the experiments he created…it made her sick to her stomach.

As she climbed up the stairs, a hissing sound behind her informed Zatanna that she had left one of those…things alive. Turning around slightly, she began trying out her new idea for blood magic, something she thought theoretically should work: blood bending.

The idea itself came to her when she recalled watching a popular show called, 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' with one of her clients children. Zatanna remembered seeing the episode and thinking back on it now, she hated the idea of someone doing that to her.

Now it might save her life.

Concentrating, Zatanna focussed on the blood coursing through the masked maniac's veins and felt the familiar buzz in the back of her head. A red magic circle appeared below her feet as she crossed her arms in front of her.

The man froze, no longer moving his body, shaking slightly as his body moved on its own. Taking a deep breath, Zatanna uncrossed her arms and looked away as a sickening sound of a neck snapping filled the room. Glancing back, she saw the dead body and knew her, 'theory,' was right. It didn't bring her the happiness she expected; in fact it just made her even sicker as knots formed in her stomach.

There was danger to this technique…one she would never share with her own kind.

_Let's just get this over with, _she thought, glancing at her watch. _I only have three hours left before sunrise._

Zatanna walked up the flight of stairs, entering a round room with what looked like to be a…oh god. Covering her mouth in disgust, her eyes widened slightly as she studied the stuffed woman closely, recognising her face as Grout's wife who had passed away. The sick bastard had stuffed his wife and turned her into a doll….

"May god have mercy on his soul when I'm through with him," she swallowed, turning to the recorder next to her and pressing a green button on the side. A click made her turn her head, watching Grout's wife turn until she face Zatanna and the door behind her unlocked. Without taking another look at the stuffed, deceased woman, Zatanna kept walking, opening the door and finding the room empty, except for the presence of a skeleton on the large bed.

Frowning, she drew closer and studied the corpse, finding both feet chained together and to the bed, a stake through the heart and both hands. Before she could study it further, a loud bang rang throughout the mansion, shaking it slightly.

Zatanna stumbled a bit before catching herself, running towards where the noise had come from. As soon as she opened the door, large, deadly flames and heat greeted her face as the bottom level was on fire.

"Grout, lay low and be cleansed by the flames!" a voice called across the room, turning Zatanna gaze from the fire to the man standing on the other side of the room.

"What the fuck?" she whispered in disbelief. "I'm not Grout! You already killed him!"

"Grout is dead?" he asked in disbelief with a slight Russian, Romanian accent. "A pity it could not be by my hand! No matter – soon your self –made kings and false prophets, and all who bear the mark of the beast, will be washed from the earth, for the coming of the Lord!"

"Who the hell are you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "As you burn, tell them it was Grunfeld Bach who sent your damned soul to that lake of fire! All agents of Satan shall return to whence they came!" he shouted in determination. "Let this righteous display serve as a promise to all who serve the archfiend LaCroix! I'm coming for you, LaCroix! By the power of the Lord, I will cleanse your black soul!"

Zatanna watched in disbelief as he disappeared through a door on his side before glancing down at the burning fire. This was not going to end well for anyone…

**oOo**

**Day Twenty-nine…**

**Location: LaCroix Foundation Towers**

LaCroix didn't seem impressed by her appearance as she entered the room, ignoring the burnt smell and the fact that most of her clothing was burnt. It looked like she was wearing shorts, no shoes and the front of her blouse was burnt, making her cover herself from a red curtain piece she ripped off in Grout's mansion.

"The primogen still haven't been contacted by Grout. I thought I made it clear that you were not supposed to come back until we had heard from him," LaCroix said curtly and Zatanna's patience snapped.

"First of all, if the primogen want to hear from Grout, tell them to hold a séance!" Zatanna snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the Prince.

He ignored her tone, staring at her in shock. "Grout's dead?! What?"

"Second, I almost died in the fire this crazy son of a bitch Bach set up."

Now LaCroix looked even more shocked with a hint of annoyance. "Bach! Every time I think he's lost the scent…." He recovered himself. "So, Bach killed Grout to draw me out."

"No, Bach made it perfectly clear in his disappointment that _he _wasn't the one to kill Grout. The guy was already dead," Zatanna informed him and LaCroix looked at her as if she were a child, belittling her.

"Who else would have killed Grout?" he asked her and she shrugged her shoulders.

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "Why don't you tell me, Captain Dramatic."

"Watch your tongue, _fledgling_," LaCroix hissed and Zatanna's eyes flashed with a dangerous anger and fury. "You will under no circumstances disrespect your leader."

"_My _leader?!" Zatanna exclaimed. "I don't remember swearing my allegiance to _anybody_!"

"You're undergoing trials—"

Zatanna cut him off. "That's just it, they're _trials _not my _loyalty_. You can take your leadership and shove it up your ass!"

Sheriff behind him growled in warning, glaring down at her while LaCroix looked at her coolly. Zatanna looked away, feeling her anger drain away slowly and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"If you are done with your tantrum," LaCroix said bluntly and Zatanna flinched slightly. "I've come to a decision on the Ankaran Sarcophagus, and I believe that for the safety of the inhabitants of this city, we need to place the sarcophagus under Camarilla protection, until its contents can be confirmed. It was quietly delivered to the Museum of Natural History a few hours ago."

Zatanna looked at him in disbelief. "Wait a—"

"Is there a problem?"

Zatanna looked down at the ground in defeat, clenching her fists at her side. "No, sir,"


	6. Chapter 5 - Crazy In Love

**Chapter Five:**

**Crazy In Love**

**Day Thirty…**

**Location: Downtown Haven**

Heather was on the couch, studying up on today's lectures at Zatanna's request while the Tremere ran around, getting ready for her first outing since being Embraced. A _real _outing where she wasn't required to kill someone, hunt down a crazy Malkavian or find some artifact. Where she could go out and enjoy herself.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Heather asked for the fifth time from the couch as Zatanna put mascara on her eye lashes in the bathroom. "I could get you drinks."

"Heather…" Zatanna replied in a warning tone and the ghoul finally decided to back off, realizing the Tremere wasn't going to budge. After doing the last lash, Zatanna stood back and admired her work. Having Heather around was handy, finally able to buy clothes and other essentials that were practically only available during the day.

Zatanna was wearing a simple pair of dark blue cuff jeans with a black belt with a silver vine cross at the front. A light green singlet with her hair out, wavy in its long length with two feathers entwined into her red locks.

She still couldn't believe she was going out tonight, with Nines and the others from the Last Round Bar. Zatanna was still suspicious of Nines being at Grout's mansion. When she examined his aura when she saw him again after her trip to the museum, it was normal again. Not the dark, forbearing one she saw earlier. There had to be an explanation for it, Zatanna was sure of it.

**Hours Earlier…**

_Zatanna had walked into the Last Round Bar, completely tired and still drained from her earlier activities the night before. That sarcophagus was heavy as fuck, even with her new strength. Being a Tremere had its draw backs sometimes._

"_Hey, if it isn't little Italy," Skelter greeted, letting her step aside to head up the stairs. She gave the dark skinned Brujah a weak smile before slowly walking up the stairs, her eyes finding Nines as soon as possible._

"_You get beat up by some senior?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at the clear exhaustion in his adopted childe's stance. "You look like shit, kiddo."_

"_Thanks," Zatanna replied dryly, not impressed with her adopted sire's shit words of comfort as Nines walked over, holding her shoulders steady as if she would have passed out. "Don't treat me like a baby."_

_Nines studied her and sighed. "How long has it been since you fed?"_

_Zatanna didn't even bother trying to answer, they both knew it had been ages and add to the fact that she vomited up some blood, used her blood magic and almost __**died**__ again….well it made the Beast come close to surfacing._

"_I've been a busy girl," Zatanna grumbled, allowing Nines to sit her down at a table as Damsel handed her a cup full of blood. The Beast flickered through her eyes as she drank it eagerly, making Damsel hand her two more cups before her thirst was satisfied….for now at least._

"_What's LaCrotch making you do to push you close to frenzying, Cammy?" Damsel asked in disgust and Zatanna sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge between her eyes._

"_Try discovering Grout was murdered, running from a fire since some sick priest thought it would be a fun idea to play arsonist. Then having to be sent to a fucking museum to grab a sarcophagus and hand it over to the bastard," she answered in one breath, stunning the three Brujah to silence._

_It was Jack who answered first. "That Ankaran Sarcophagus that has the Camarilla goin' ape shit over?"_

_Zatanna nodded, narrowing her eyes at the table. "There's…something off about it," she shook her head, shaking off the feeling of dread. "I don't like it one bit so I'm glad to be away from it."_

_Damsel studied her closely for a bit before slamming her fist down onto the table, making Zatanna jumped in surprise while the two men barely flinched. Apparently they were used to it from the female Brujah._

"_We need to hang out, go to a club or somethin'," Damsel suggested eagerly, looking at the two warily. "Unless you two planned to make her drink to death."_

_Jack looked at her in mock hurt while Nines still kept his stone face. "You need to rest," Nines told Zatanna firmly and the inner rebel in Zatanna flared; she was so sick of everyone telling her what to do lately._

"_No, I think that's a good idea," she told Damsel, ignoring Nines glare. "There's this club I've been meaning to check out."_

"_Great, how about eight?"_

"_Make it eight thirty and you've got yourself a deal."_

**Present…**

Zatanna glanced at the clock as she placed her silver hoop earrings into her ears. She had five minutes left and it was time for Heather to head home. She cleared her throat, indicating to the college student that she had overstayed her usual time.

Heather pouted but didn't complain as she gathered her things into her bag while Zatanna checked her laptop, finding no emails from LaCroix at the moment. Thank god, the idea of running another errand for the guy wasn't appealing.

"See you tomorrow, get home safe," Zatanna told her and Heather nodded, leaving the apartment and Zatanna grabbed her white strapped heels. Moments later, a knock at her door informed her that Damsel had arrived and was waiting for her. "Hold on."

Quickly, she grabbed her small white purse and ran to the door, opening it and looked in surprise at her guest. It wasn't Damsel standing there but Nines who had been taking in her appearance with much surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Zatanna asked, walking out and locking the door before heading down the hall and down the steps. "I thought you weren't interested in this type of thing."

"Someone has to make sure you don't collapse," Nines answered, clearing his throat a bit as he stepped in beside her while they walked out of the apartment complex. "I don't trust Damsel to be able to keep an eye on you _while _drinking."

"Can't hold her liquor?"

"(You'll see for yourself.)"

It was then Zatanna actually took the time to notice he had changed, wearing a simple light blue shirt that matched his eyes, showing off no doubt abs hidden underneath with a pair of black jeans and converses.

"(You don't look half bad,)" Zatanna teased, although she was lying to herself. He looked _hot _and wanted nothing more than to drag him back to the haven and strip him of his clothes. The sudden made her frown, catching herself and shaking her head to clear unwanted thoughts out of her mind.

It didn't help when Nines smirked back at her, his eyes twinkling. "(I could say the same for you, Zap.)"

Zatanna swallowed hard, thankful that she could no longer blush as they arrived at the club, finding Damsel and Skelter standing out the front waiting. Damsel had ditched her hat, wearing her hair in a ponytail with the same pants but a black crop top while Skelter….was the same as ever.

"Damsel, in a crop top?" Zatanna laughed and the Brujah woman flashed her smirk.

"Hey, I can be a den mother _and _still look fucking hot while doin' it," Damsel pointed out and Zatanna didn't doubt that one bit. Skelter's mouth had dropped practically to the ground as he stared at Zatanna, erupting a growl from Nines beside her.

He caught himself, looking away as they headed inside.

**oOo**

**Two Hours Later…**

Zatanna was drunk….but not as bad as she would have been. She was still able to form sentences properly, still see straight and walked fine as if she wasn't drunk. But there was the usual buzz in the back of her head and her morals took a hike a LONG time ago.

Damsel and Skelter had disappeared half an hour ago so it was just her and Nines at the bar, drinking and laughing, exchanging embarrassing childhood stories. Somehow, halfway through they both switched to Italian but that didn't bother her one bit. In fact, it just made the male Brujah sexier than ever.

"(This…was a good idea,)" Zatanna smiled fondly, nursing her red bull and vodka. "(I'm so glad I came out tonight.)"

"(So am I,)" Nines smiled, watching her as 'Crazy In Love,' by Beyoncé filled the club. Zatanna instantly beamed, getting up as her favourite song blasted in the speakers. She practically ran to the dance floor, amongst the crowd and began dancing to the tune.

As Zatanna danced, letting her inhibitions go, her eyes caught Nines watching her in amusement. Smirking, she gestured him over with her finger and turned away, moving her hips. When two hands suddenly held onto her hips, she knew who it was by the scent hitting her nose.

Nines spun her around and they faced each other, dancing along to the beat as Zatanna's hair glided along her back with each movement. The dance, the song, being close to him…Zatanna didn't know what was happening until Nines's body was pressed against her to the point where she could feel his warm breath on her face.

Fluttering her eyes underneath her lashes, she looked at him and saw a primal, animalistic desire swirling in the blue depths. She felt herself being drawn in, as if she were going to drown any second.

"(Let's go somewhere else,)" Zatanna murmured, leaning her lips against his ear, feeling his hand roughly on her tailbone.

"(Tired?)" he asked softly, clutching her closer to his hard body, as if keeping her from any other males in the club.

Zatanna felt a small smirk on her lips. "(Actually, a little more energetic,)" she pulled back and lightly pressed her lips against his neck, feeling him shudder slightly.

"(We better take care of that then.)"

**oOo**

**Day Thirty…**

**Location: Downtown Haven**

As soon as they stepped through her front door, Nines's lips were hungrily pressed against Zatanna's, slamming the door shut with his foot while holding Zatanna with both hands.

The Tremere had wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, moaning into the Brujah's hard, but firm lips. When Nines's tongue pushed past its way into her mouth, she gladly accepted it, sucking on the tip slightly.

Still holding her with one arm, Nines used his other to begin removing the clothed barriers, ripping her singlet. Zatanna let out a squeal, not really caring that her new clothing was ripped, more focused on the pleasure she was no doubt to receive.

"_Evomer S'senin trihs_," Zatanna murmured, ignoring the buzz in her head as Nines's shirt, as if sharp nails had cut them, fell into ribbons and onto the floor, exposing his rock hard, pale chest for Zatanna's hands to explore.

Nines attached her neck, sucking and gently nipping at it as he walked forwards, towards the bed before dropping Zatanna onto the hard mattress. An annoyed growl escaped Zatanna's lips as she sat up slightly, allowing Nines to cut through the middle of her bra with his teeth.

"_Deb emoceb sa tfos sa sduolc_!" Zatanna ordered, feeling the familiar drain of the baby magic taught to her as the hard mattress turned soft underneath her. "(You owe me a new bra,)" she hissed, feeling his tongue running down the middle of her chest, heading down to her stomach.

"(I prefer you without one,)" he murmured against her stomach, locking eyes with her before running his fangs up and down her front. Feeling jolts of electricity and a tingling sensation, Zatanna gasped, arching her back while Nines held onto her hips, trying to keep her in one place.

"I swear to god if you don't fucking hurry—(Oh sweet Mary, Joseph and the donkey that she rode on!)" Zatanna cried out, feeling Nines's attacking her perked nipples with his tongue, squeezing the other with his hand. Her fingers gripped onto his back, digging her nails in slightly. "You're…not playing…fair!"

Nines smirked against her breast, continuing his assault. Fine, if he wanted to play the game, meet the star player.

"_Evomer lla gnihtolc morf Se_—" Zatanna was cut off mid-spell by Nines pressing his lips against hers, pulling back with a playful growl.

"No more tricks," he told her firmly, grabbing her wrists together with his hand and holding them above her head, his other hand teasingly on the hem of her jeans. "We do this my way."

Zatanna narrowed her eyes at him, watching him as he painfully, slowly removed her jeans with only her underwear and shoes left on. "(I won't have shoes on my bed,)" she told him firmly and Nines thought about it for a second, looking at her with suspicious eyes. "(I won't say anything besides that.)"

Finally, he nodded and she kissed his cheek softly before laying back on the bed. "_Evomer htob seohs_," she murmured, feeling her shoes lightly remove themselves, floating in the air until they landed next to the front door, along with Nines.

"You look impatient," Nines said, tracing his fingers near her opening, her underwear the along barrier between his fingers and her wet opening. Zatanna's nails dug into the mattress, clenching as Nines tortured her in the worst way possible.

"Nines, please," Zatanna could hardly believe that she had reduced to pleading for sex. If it were anyone else, the very thought would have made her scoff but for some reason, everything was different with Nines.

Nines answered her pleas by ripping her panties and drove two fingers straight into her. Zatanna gasped, arching her back in surprise while he continued to pump in and out of her. For a Brujah, he was surprinsgly gentle with his movements, hitting her soft spots and making her toes curl in pleasure.

His fingers weren't good enough, she needed more….she needed _him_. Nines's eyes flashed towards her, capturing her gaze as if he had read her mind. Still pumping his fingers inside, with released the bulge in his pants and Zatanna's eyes slightly widened in surprise. Whether he was that well-endowed in his human years or due to becoming a Brujah, Zatanna was still impressed and slightly intimidated by the size.

Fuck it; she was drunk and felt like a bitch in heat. He could rip her to shreds and she'd still want more.

Without saying anything or warning, Nines drove himself deeply into Zatanna and she let out a soundless scream, feeling him filling himself inside of her. Both of them stilled, allowing Zatanna to adjust to his length before be slowly pulled out and back in.

Zatanna moaned, gripping his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his waist as Nines picked up the pace, practically drilling into her with speed that only one of the Brujah clan could possess.

She wriggled, going crazy underneath him, letting go and biting him deeply, sucking a little blood. Nines cursed in her ear, letting out a groan at the feeling of her feeding off of him before doing the same.

As soon as Nines dug his fangs into her neck, drinking from her as well, both released and fell into a beautiful bliss for a few moments. Zatanna withdrew from his neck, licking the wound gently as if in apology while Nines pulled out.

Drunk, her bottom half tingling from her orgasm and feeling slightly light headed from the blood loss, Zatanna collapsed onto the bed without warning.

**oOo**

Zatanna's head pounded, her crotch area feeling like someone had stretched it to hell and back as she woke up. Groaning, she sat up and clutched her head. "(How long was I asleep for?)"

"Throughout the night and day," Nines's voice startled her and she looked at him in surprise as he sat on the couch, watching the TV as the news came on. "You got pretty smashed."

"Ugh, I _feel _like I did," she grumbled, seeing her clothes ripped on the floor and lack of clothing on her body. Quickly, she covered herself with the sheets and looked at Nines for an explanation as he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You picked a fight with some Sabbat and won," he answered with a shrug, a hard edge in his voice that made her frown at.

"Oh god, you've been looking after me all day," Zatanna bit her bottom lip in guilt and sighed. "Look, sorry that you were trapped in here."

"Don't worry about it, this is why I said you should rest."

As she got up, clutching the sheet close to her body and grabbing some clothes from her draws, Zatanna couldn't help but think there was more to the story than Nines was letting on. After all, when she turned to him from the doorway to the bathroom, he kept staring at the TV with a hard expression on his face.


End file.
